2025 Upfronts announcement
60 Minutes is the 9Networkâs flagship weekly current affairs program and a Sunday night tradition that epitomises the relentless power of investigative journalism.
This year 60 Minutes has produced several agenda-setting investigations, including an explosive exposé on corruption within the CFMEU, a global investigation into international scam factories, and exclusive revelations regarding the cause of the deadly 2023 Taipan helicopter crash.
60 Minutesâ investigative strength and commitment to public interest journalism has consistently driven change, exposed wrongdoing and held institutions accountable.
With over four decades of excellence, 60 Minutes has garnered numerous accolades, including multiple Logies and Walkley Awards, solidifying its reputation as a leader in its field. The program is anchored by some of Australiaâs most distinguished journalists: Tara Brown, Liz Hayes, Nick McKenzie, Amelia Adams, Dimity Clancey and Adam Hegarty â each bringing a sharp, forensic edge and an unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth.
60 Minutes is a multi-platform program with an extensive digital reach. This year it launched its 24/7 channel on 9Now and the Extra Minutes podcast, which have proven enormously successful.
As the media landscape evolves, 60 Minutes remains committed to its founding principles: rigorous investigation, journalistic integrity and a dedication to truth. The program continues to adapt, embracing new technologies and storytelling methods to engage a diverse audience and expand its reach.
Karl Stefanovic meets the Godfather. SUNDAY on #60Mins, Hollywood legend Al Pacino looks back on the iconic roles of his remarkable career. pic.twitter.com/RPzXrICqJZ
â 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) October 24, 2024
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, AT 8.35PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
BEAUTIFUL LILIE
At 21, Lilie James was busy doing all the things people do at that young age. Studying, working, playing, she was on the threshold of a promising life. But, tragically, last October this beautiful and vivacious woman was savagely beaten to death in the gymnasium of the school where she had a part-time job. The level of violence was shocking â so too was the identity of the man who killed her. Paul Thijssen, 24, Lilieâs ex-boyfriend and co-worker at the school, was by all accounts a model citizen. That he could commit such a heinous crime was inconceivable to most who knew him. On 60 MINUTES, Tara Brown speaks exclusively to Lilie Jamesâ heartbroken parents, and delves into Thijssenâs well-hidden past to unmask the truth about this violent and cruel killer.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producers: Hannah Bowers, Sheree Gibson
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SONNY BOY
It was an offer Karl Stefanovic couldnât refuse: An interview with the godfather of modern cinema, Al Pacino. The movie megastar might now be 84, but he remains a force of nature, even recently becoming a father for the fourth time. In fact, as Stefanovic reports, that joyous event was the impetus Pacino needed to look back and, finally, write his long-awaited memoir. Titled Sonny Boy, it is â as everyone would expect â as gritty and intense as many of his explosive on-screen characters. Whatâs perhaps less expected, though, is that the real Al Pacino is also incredibly funny and disarmingly down to earth.
Reporter: Karl Stefanovic
Producer: Garry McNab
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60 Minutes: Karl Stefanovic with Al Pacino. Photography: Garry McNab
An article of the interview
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, AT 8.40PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
THE INVISIBLE DEATHS
Itâs a national disgrace. This year in Australia, every six days on average, a woman has been killed in a domestic violence incident. As shameful as that number is, however, itâs likely to be only a fraction of the true death toll. The reality is there are potentially hundreds more women losing their lives, but their deaths are not being investigated and so not counted. On 60 MINUTES, Dimity Clancey reports the heart-breaking stories of the invisible victims.
Reporter: Dimity Clancey
Producer: Anne Worthington
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THE KID
If cramming a lot of life into a very short time was a competition, smart people would put money on The Kid Laroi to win easily. At 21, heâs already an over-achiever. Thereâs the worldwide adulation heâs received as a singer and rapper, as well as the lavish trappings that such success brings. But as Adam Hegarty discovered in a very revealing interview, this young Australianâs greatest accomplishment is something else entirely. For The Kid Laroi, itâs having the strength to believe in his talent, and knowing how to drag himself out of a âdown and outâ existence in Sydney to pursue a dream most people would regard as impossible.
Reporter: Adam Hegarty
Producer: Sammi Taylor
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THIS WEEK ON 60 MINUTES
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, AT 9.00PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
THE ART OF THE VICTORY
What a campaign. What an election. What a result. To the victor, Donald Trump, go the spoils. From early next year he will return to the White House for another four years as the most powerful man on earth. And for someone with such an unpredictable and egotistical nature, that old saying âWe live in interesting timesâ couldnât be more apt. On 60 MINUTES, Amelia Adams reports from Washington DC on the impact of Donald Trumpâs return to the Oval Office on Australia and the rest of the world.
Reporter: Amelia Adams
Producers: Nichola Younger, Sammi Taylor
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VOTE 1 FOR 2
What Lucy Bradlow and Bronwen Bock want to do is either brilliant or bonkers. They reckon they can make Australian politics better by offering themselves up in a two-for-one deal. Thatâs right, they want to job-share the position of senator. But as Adam Hegarty reports, their proposal raises many questions. The most obvious is what happens when, if elected, these wannabe part-timers disagree on an issue? Quite unlike politicians, they say donât worry, theyâll work out their differences amicably. So, should we believe them and start planning to Vote 1 for 2? Or is this a case of double equals trouble?
Reporter: Adam Hegarty
Producers: Serge Negus, Sammi Taylor
FACING THE WORLD
Few people have endured such extreme levels of pain, both physical and emotional, as Stephanie Browitt. Five years ago, she suffered horrendous burns when the White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted. It was a tragedy that killed her dad Paul and sister Krystal, as well as 20 others. Since then, Steph has fought daily to recover and reclaim her life. One of the obstacles sheâs faced has been an ongoing legal battle with Royal Caribbean, the cruise ship company that sent passengers on an excursion to the volcano the day it blew up. Now, as Sarah Abo reports, finally and thankfully, there has been a significant development in the case.
Reporter: Sarah Abo
Producer: Natalie Clancy
The Australian Electoral Commission released a media statement late this afternoon, regarding last nightâs report on dual candidates for a single Senate seat. It basically said that the AEC is compelled to reject any nomination for dual candidates for a single vacancy.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, AT 7.00PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
CHARLOTTEâS WISH
If the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has his way, from the end of next year children under 16 will be banned from social media. Thatâs right, for Australian kids, soon there will be no more access to Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and all those other addictive apps. Taking on the worldâs tech giants is a bold move by the government, and there are valid questions about how such a ban might be enforced. As Adam Hegarty reports, if anyone needs a compelling reason for urgent action, they need only know the confronting and tragic story of 12-year-old Charlotte OâBrien. She was a victim of cruel bullying, much of it delivered online, and it was her wish that Australians understand the truth: Social media can kill.
Reporter: Adam Hegarty
Producer: Anne Worthington
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SUCKED IN
Itâs hardly surprising, but once again Australians have been sucked in by the duplicity of âBig Tobaccoâ and its apologists. When that industry could no longer lie about the deadly effects of cigarettes, it promised to clean up its act. Its bosses started promoting vaping as an easy aid to quit smoking. But we now know that claim has turned out to be another untruth. What vapes have really done is hook a new generation â children â on nicotine. After years of indifference, the federal government has finally woken up to the ruse by introducing tough new laws making it illegal to import or sell vapes. However, in a joint investigation by 60 MINUTES, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Eryk Bagshaw discovers Canberraâs crackdown on these products might already be too late to be effective.
Reporter: Eryk Bagshaw
Producer: Laura Sparkes
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The story airs on the same day a 20 minute documentary, Charlotteâs Wish, is released online, coinciding with News Corpâs two-month investigation into bullying through schoolyards and social media, following Charlotte OâBrienâs death. The investigation has uncovered a disastrous patchwork of school-based policies, skills and enforcement to support families as bullying evolves and a tech-driven wave leaves victims with no escape.
Front page of The Sunday Telegraph today
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, AT 7.00PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
VILLAINS OR VICTIMS?
Back when it happened, greed was the simple explanation that went with the headlines. Lyle and Erik Menendez had shot dead their wealthy parents in the familyâs Beverly Hills mansion to get their hands on a $14 million inheritance. Of course, the brothers denied that was the case. In court they said they killed because their evil father had been sexually abusing them. But they werenât believed. Found guilty, the pair were sentenced to life behind bars, without parole. Now though, 35 years later, Tara Brown reports thereâs not only new evidence but enormous support from armchair detectives around the world who are convinced the Menendez brothers really are victims, not villains. So should they be freed?
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producers: Serge Negus, Sheree Gibson
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GET SHORTY
Rotting in prison for decades now, Stephen âShortyâ Jamiesonâs file is marked âNever to be releasedâ. He is one of Australiaâs most reviled criminals, because in 1988 Jamieson was the ringleader of group of young thugs who abducted, raped and murdered 20-year-old Janine Balding. It was a truly shocking crime. But Jamieson has always denied any involvement in the murder, repeatedly saying he wasnât even there. Most people would easily dismiss the pleas of a despised murderer, but as Nick McKenzie reports, a number of eminent experts have listened. Theyâve been reviewing Stephen âShortyâ Jamiesonâs file and are now questioning his conviction.
Reporter: Nick McKenzie
Producers: Amelia Ballinger, Anthony Dowsley
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Lindt Café siege
The dark day that changed Australia forever. SUNDAY on #60Mins, remembering the horror of the Lindt Café siege, ten years on. pic.twitter.com/c2oXXTxJAh
â 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) November 27, 2024
Nothing on Phil Hughes (also ten years on?)
60 MINUTES SPECIAL
â17 HOURS OF TERRORâ
THE LINDT CAFĂ SIEGE, 10 YEARS ON
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, AT 7.00PM ON CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW
It started as a beautiful summer morning, warm and sunny, but ended as one of the darkest days in Australiaâs history. December 15, 2014, is indelibly seared into the nationâs psyche as the moment when terrorism came to the heart of Sydney.
Ten years on, this Sunday, Peter Overton presents a powerful special edition of 60 MINUTES, remembering the 17 hours of terror at the Lindt Café siege.
At 8.33am on that horrific day, lone-wolf gunman Man Haron Monis, claiming allegiance to Islamic State, walked into the popular cafĂ© and shortly thereafter took 18 innocent people hostage. Threatening not only to shoot his captives, but also to detonate bombs heâd planted around the city, Monis wreaked havoc until 2.13am the following morning.
When the ordeal was over, not only was the terrorist dead â tragically, so were two hostages, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson.
Through the recollections of survivors inside the café, as well as the perspectives of police and political leaders charged with ending the siege, this program is a showcase of the bravery of the men and women whose lives continue to be affected by that awful day.
It is also a tribute to the memories of the victims and a timely reminder to heed the painful lessons learnt from the tragedy to ensure such a crime never happens again in Australia.
Reporter: Peter Overton
Producers: Laura Sparkes, Alex Chance
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